7 ag stories you might have missed this week - March 30, 2018

USDA releases Prospective Planting numbers and Hogs and Pigs report, and John Deere celebrates 100 years of tractors.

Janet Kubat Willette, E-Content Editor

March 30, 2018

2 Min Read
NolanBerg11/flySnow/SteveOehlenschlager/ThinkstockPhotos

Missed some agricultural news this week? Here are seven stories you might have missed.

1. Corn and soybean futures jumped after USDA said farmers would plant less corn and soybeans in 2018 than a year ago. The agency released its annual Prospective Plantings report on Thursday. – Farm Futures

2. Iowa farmer Mark Recker, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, has been fielding a lot of phone calls and attending a number of meetings since late February when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and oil refiners came up with a plan to cap the price of Renewable Identification Numbers. – Wallaces Farmer 

3. The European Union isn’t eager to jump into negotiations on the stalled Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The negotiations have been frozen since Trump entered the White House in January 2017. – Farm Futures

4. Foremost Farms broke ground on a new dairy processing plant in Greenville, Michigan, earlier this month. The $57.9 million plant is expected to create 33 jobs and provide the state’s dairy farmers with a much-needed in-state processing facility. More than 24% of Michigan milk production, or 2.65 billion pounds, is shipped out of state per year. – Michigan Farmer

5. A recent Farm Futures survey found about 46% of respondents would be interested in buying health insurance through a pool offered by a commodity group or other association such as 40 Square in Minnesota. – Farm Futures 

6. John Deere Co. is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its official entry into the tractor business. John Deere purchased the Waterloo Boy in 1918, giving the company its first tractor to sell. – Indiana Prairie Farmer 

7. The U.S. hog herd inventory as of March 1 was up 3% from a year ago, but down 1% from Dec. 1, 2017, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report released March 29. – National Hog Farmer

For your bonus, here’s a couple stories on land values:

  • Iowa farmland values have risen nearly 3% on average since September and are 5% higher than a year ago, based on the most recent statewide survey by the Iowa Chapter of the Realtor’s Land Institute. – Wallaces Farmer

  • Land in north central South Dakota sold for an average of $4,121 per acre in March and high-producing land in in eastern South Dakota sold for $7,200 per acre at a recent auction. – Dakota Farmer

 

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